NEW YORK -- After a one-year absence, the New York City Marathon returned Sunday. And Geoffrey Mutai picked up where he left off. The Kenyan repeated as champion, doubling on his 2011 victory and becoming the first to repeat since John Kagwe in 1998.

Mutai could not match his winning time from 2011, however, when he set a course record in the year four of the five lowest times in the race's history were run. He won this year in two hours, eight minutes and 24 seconds, more than three minutes behind that pace (2:05:06). He did have to contend with a strong wind, though.

"It's a little warmer than we thought it would be, the wind a little more from the west,'' Mary Wittenberg, president and C.E.O. of New York Road Runners said. "There's no question it was a tougher day for the sub-three hour runner that's by themselves for men and women. It was a pretty tough wind still.''

Still, Mutai was victorious. He ran neck-and-neck with Stanley Biwott, from Kenya, but did not create substantial separation until the 22nd mile, when he pulled himself half a block ahead.

"First of all, to win is easy, but to defend your title is not easy," Mutai said. "So even today, as you see the course today, the weather today, it was not easy. Even for me, I try all what I can, but even if I was not believing that I can finish like that. So actually, it says a lot for me to defend my title."

• It was a momentous day for Tatyana McFadden, 24, of Maryland, who won the women's wheelchair race by more than three minutes. It completed a Grand Slam for her this year. She has won marathons in Boston, London, Chicago and New York.

"Whatever happened, I told myself on Sunday, I did everything that I could do; just believe in myself and just hit all the strength on the course," she said. "With the wind, the course did become exhausting earlier on because you're going against the wind and then you're climbing, and you don't have that much rest downhill because of the wind hitting your chest; it slows you down. But overall, it was a really good day."

Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's wheelchair race.

• Ryan Vail of Oregon was the first American to finish. He placed 13th in 2:13:23

"It's definitely an honor considering the field we had out here," he said. "Obviously, some guys had some off days, but it's still an honor. I would have liked to have finished a little stronger, I thought. Based on my training, I thought I was going to finish a little stronger on this course."

Ryan Johns of Princeton, who finished 25th overall in 2:25.08, was the first New Jerseyan to cross the line in the men's race.

Meb Keflezighi, a Californian who won here in 2009, led for the first 15 kilometers. By the 20-kilometer mark, though, he had already dipped into fourth place. He ultimately finished in 2:23:47 -- 15 minutes off Mutai's time.